Chusetts



.(No M6661.) v f 'I v J. B.'GIBBS su M. s. NELSON.

. l PIRE LIGHTER. 16o/666,674. y Patentedfsept. 2 9, 1896.

' f @www y UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. GIBBS AND -MARTIN S. NELSON, OF NEV BEDFORD, MASSA- OHUSETTS.

FIRE-LIGHTER.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,674, datedSeptember 29, 1896.

Application iiled November 29, 1895. Serial No. 570,466. (No model.)

'To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN E. GIBBS and MARTIN S. NELSON, of New Bedford,in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Lighters; and we do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification.

Our invention has relation to improvements in fire-lighters for use moreparticularly in connection with fire-engines.

The object of our invention is to produce a nre-lighter adapted to beconnected beneath the grate of a fire-engine, having a movable ignitingdevice, which ignites by friction one or a series of matches when theengine is drawn from its position in theV fire-engine house, the samebeing automatic in its action. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 isa sectional view of a lire-engine grate withv our lighter attached. Fig.2 is a sectional view taken Vlongitudinally of the sliding block. Fig. 3is an enlarged detached perspective view of the sliding igniting-block.Fig. 4 is an end view of the U-shaped frame or yoke.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, A indicates a yoke orU-shaped frame having at its upper ends laterally-extending earsadapting it to be connected to the grate of a fire-engine through themedium of the clamping-bolts B.' This U- shaped or yoke portion A hasits lower or bottom portion extended outward beyond the width of thesaid yoke and provided between the arms thereof with the ribs C, betweenwhich is seated a block D, held therein by means of a bolt and nut E.This block is provided with a series of openings F to receive a numberof matches, as shown, with their igniting ends upward.

The igniting device consists of a sliding block H, having at one end theears I, and a spring portion K, pivoted to the ears I through the mediumof a pivotal rod J. The spring portion K has the depending flanges o atits sides and is of such size, preferably,

as to inclose the block D therein when in the position shown in Fig. 2.The under side of the spring portion is provided with a coating vofemery e, which is in contact with the matches in the block D. The underportion of the sliding block H is held upward against the under side ofthe lower portion of the yoke A by means of a spring Q, and a chain Phas one end connected with the sliding block and the other end providedwith a snap or other hook b to be attached to the floor or otherstationary portion of the engine-house.

The device being charged with matches and the sliding block placed inposition, the sliding block is moved across the matches when the engineis taken from the enginehouse, owing to one end of the chain P beingconnected to the iioor thereof. A movement of this sliding block overthe matches ignites them, as will be readily understood, thus causing aiiame through the grate-bars of the engine to the combustible materialabove.

From the above description it will be seen that we have produced a cheapand very reliable automatic lighter for lire-engines which is operatedby the movement of the engine from its position in the house.

We preferably use a torch composed of a wire R, wound with waste S,saturated with oil, placed over the match-block within the flameproduced thereby. This produces a torch, insuring a positive lighting ofthe combustible material above the grate.

This lighter can be used to light the fire when the steamer'or engine ison the road by unsnapping and 'taking into the lire-box.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A {jre-lighter consisting of a frame having a depending portion, withits upper end adapted to be attached to a grate, the lower end having alaterally-extending elongated web or horizontal portion, a spring-claspentirely independent of the said frame, the said clasp consisting of twoplates pivoted to each other near one end, and a spring for holdingtheir free ends normally together, whereby their free ends are adaptedto span the laterally-extending web of the frame, and a connectionhaving one end attached IOO to the pivoted end of the clasp and theopposite end to a stationary objeet,tl1e said web of the frame adaptedto earry an igniting material to be engaged by one part of the free endsof the clasp, substantially as described.

2. A flre-igniter eoinprising a frame havin g a dependin g portion, itsupper end adapted to be connected with a grate, the lower end of theframe having a laterally-extending elongated web or horizontal portion,a spriiig-elasp adapted to span the said Web longitudinally of theelongation, the free end of the clasp being shorter than the elon

